Opposite dugout: Overhauled Red Sox playing better ball with skid behind them

Manager: John Farrell, second year Record: 63-80 Last 10 games: 5-5 Who to watch: DH David Ortiz (.263/.359/.515, 25 doubles, 32 HR, 98 RBIs); LF Yoenis Cespedes (.263/.303/.464, 34 doubles, 21 HR, 94 RBIs, 82 R); CF Mookie Betts (.287/.354/.470, 33 G, 7 doubles, 4 HR, 11 RBIs, 20 R, 5 SB); RHP Joe Kelly (3-3, 4.13 ERA, 1.39 WHIP) Season series vs. O's: 6-7, 45 runs scored, 55 runs allowed Pitching probables Sept. 8: Joe Kelly vs. Miguel Gonzalez, 7 p.m., MASN HD Sept. 9: Anthony Ranaudo vs. Chris Tillman, 7 p.m., MASN HD Sept. 10: Brandon Workman vs. Wei-Yin Chen, 1:30 p.m., MASN HD Series breakdown The Orioles continue their season-ending tour of the American League East in Boston over the next three days, when they'll get their first chance to see the Red Sox since the July 31 deadline makeover. Baltimore won't have to face Jon Lester, John Lackey, Jake Peavy or Jonny Gomes, and Andrew Miller is now in orange and black. But the Orioles will get their first look at Yoenis Cespedes and Allen Craig in Red Sox uniforms, and will also get their first crack at a remade pitching staff that has only Clay Buchholz remaining. The last-place Red Sox have nothing tangible to play for in September, as they are the only AL East club that has been eliminated from the playoffs so far. But Boston has played solid ball of late, going 7-6 since an eight-game skid, having lost just one of its last four series. During one of their longest losing streaks of a dismal season, the Red Sox struggled in all ways. They allowed fewer than four runs only once during the eight games, surrendering 46 runs total (5.8 per game). They also were held to 21 runs in the eight games, scoring more than three only once (2.6 per contest). In the 13 games since, the Red Sox have outscored the competition by the narrowest of margins, 59-58. They have scored at least four runs seven times, including four games with at least eight runs. The pitching staff has held opponents to 4.5 runs per game during that time, down more than a run per contest from the skid. The Red Sox continue to own one of the worst offenses in the AL. They're last with 554 runs, second-last with a .243 average and a .684 OPS, and 12th with 108 homers. That's despite having designated hitter David Ortiz, Cespedes and more. Ortiz leads the team with an .874 OPS and 32 homers while his 98 RBIs rank fourth in the AL. Cespedes has seen his batting average leap from .256 to .264 since coming to Boston, but otherwise has nearly identical numbers to the ones he posted in Oakland (.767 OPS in 101 games with the A's, .766 in 34 games with the Red Sox). Overall, he has 34 doubles and 21 homers while ranking seventh in the AL with 94 RBIs. He has eight doubles, two triples, four homers and 27 RBIs in 34 games with the Red Sox. He is batting .356 over his last 14 games. Center field prospect Mookie Betts has also boosted the lineup, hitting quite well since rejoining the Red Sox on Aug. 18. Betts, who entered the season as the 62nd-best prospect in baseball according to MLB.com, has batted .311/.393/.527 with five doubles, three homers, nine RBIs, 14 runs and four steals in 20 games since being called back up. Boston has also had a down year on the mound, but not as bad as it has at the plate. The Red Sox are ninth in the AL with a 3.98 team ERA, 12th with a 4.30 starters' ERA and sixth with a 3.33 bullpen ERA. Since the All-Star break, the Red Sox are 13th in the AL with a 4.28 ERA, which is understandable considering most of that time has been spent without Lester, Lackey and Peavy. In this series, the Orioles will go up against two pitchers they've never faced before (right-handers Joe Kelly and Anthony Ranaudo) and one that has pitched against them only five times with one start (right-hander Brandon Workman). Kelly, who was acquired from the Cardinals in the Lackey trade, goes head-to-head with Miguel Gonzalez in tonight's series opener. The 26-year-old has pitched well in five of six starts for Boston, going 1-1 with a 3.89 ERA overall. His only slip-up came when he allowed seven runs in four innings against Houston on Aug. 17. Kelly has a 2.55 ERA in his three starts since. Ranaudo, a 2010 sandwich pick in his first year in the majors, takes on Chris Tillman in the second game. Ranaudo is 3-1 with a 4.63 ERA in his first four major league starts, all of which have come since Aug. 1. Despite the unimpressive ERA, the 24-year-old has been consistent, allowing four runs or fewer in every start and surrendering more than three only once. Workman gets the ball against Chen in Wednesday's matinee finale. He's 1-8 with a 4.93 ERA in 17 appearances (13 starts) this season. The 26-year-old hasn't won since June 10 and has a 6.45 ERA in his last nine games (eight starts). He does have two quality starts in his last three outings, but they were sandwiched around a season-worst seven earned runs in 3 1/3 innings on Aug. 23. Boston has had a strong bullpen this year, but has experienced a change in the back end. You won't likely see former Orioles closer Koji Uehara working the ninth in the series, as the Japanese right-hander has been removed from the role because of a woeful stretch. Uehara has three blown saves in his last six appearances, allowing 10 runs in 4 2/3 innings for a 19.29 ERA during that time. Right-hander Edward Mujica, an All-Star closer for the Cardinals in 2013, has taken over the ninth inning for now. The Red Sox have lost two of three to the O's in each of their last two series after winning four of five games over Baltimore at one point earlier this season. But this isn't the same club in Boston. The Orioles won't be able to expect an easy time with the Red Sox playing solid ball of late. But against a last-place foe, Baltimore will have an opportunity to extend its 9 1/2-game division lead to double digits for the first time this season.